Boston Police Commissioner William Evans, an 18-time Boston Marathon finisher who completed last year’s race in 3:34:06, was the incident commander in charge on the street following last year’s horrific bombings on Boylston Street. In this video, Evans recalls what transpired that day and discusses the role running has played in his life.

“I’ve been running close to 30 years,” Evans said in an exclusive interview with competitor.com. “It’s a very important part of my life…My philosophy is that as long as I can get my run in, there’s nothing I can’t tackle during the day. That’s how much it means to me.”